Growing up in a pastor’s home has its unique qualities that become more significant as I get older and hopefully wiser. I am amazed at how often I am able to look at a current situation and reflect on some memory from my childhood as a reference point on how to best deal with things.
My dad was a pastor. I don’t mean my dad pastored a church; I mean he was a real shepherd. Running himself ragged and quite possibly crazy trying to care for his congregation. Watching my dad’s life has given me a great appreciation for the role of a pastor and the difficulties that come with the job. I never cease to be amazed at the unrealistic expectation placed on most pastors. In June of 1991, he left the pastorate and became an itinerant evangelist; but to this day 16 years later, he still gets constant phone calls to come preach a wedding or a funeral or visit some dying former church member. I pray that when I am dead and gone I could have had half the impact on my congregation that my dad had on his.
I know my dad is not unique among pastors. Almost everyone I have ever known has had that one man who really made a significant impact on their life. No matter how far away or how old they get, they still think of that man as their pastor. Can a value be placed on that man? What is a pastor like that worth? What is your pastor worth?
In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul actually answered that question. In chapter 5, verse Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.
Here Paul is dealing with a two-fold issue concerning honor. Honor, meaning respect, but it could also be translated price. Paul is not referencing money directly, but is dealing with the attitude that results in compensation for the one worthy of honor. He goes on to prove this in referencing the OT passage concerning muzzling the oz. “The laborer deserves his wages.” However, double pay is not the point, but rather the result of the attitude that should be pervasive among the congregation. Those who honor their elders would not begrudge them support; in fact, the very opposite would be true. The congregation would be proactive making sure these men receive what they ought to have. All elders should be honored, but Paul does single a group out. He says those who rule well are worthy of double honor, and the language here implies this is what they deserve.
Paul supported himself as he traveled in his missionary journeys; but make no mistake about it, Hebrews 13 and 1 Corinthians 9 bear out that a man who makes his living preaching and teaching should be compensated for it. Paul himself even thanks the church at Philippi for financial support. So let me ask you a question. Have you ever sat on a finance committee and said, “that’s too much” when it came time to decide your pastor’s salary. Is he worthy of honor? Without exception, yes! Is he worthy of double honor? Who are we to ever judge a pastor’s worth? I have actually heard people say, “The median income of this area is x amount; therefore, the pastor should not get more than that.” Really? Is he worthy of double honor? How about those men who may not even pastor you, but their writings or sermons have had as much impact on your Christian walk as anything you have come in contact with. How much are they worth? Is there really any price you can place on the work of a shepherd? Is he worth more than a CEO? Is he worth more than a President? Should we ever come and say “that’s too much”. Who are we to ever say that man is not worthy of that. So a man makes $250,000 a year. How do you know he is not giving most of it back, and if he doesn’t, who are you to judge him? I challenge all of you who are sheep to make sure your pastor receives the honor that he deserves. I am not talking about money, but actually a desire to do everything you can to make sure these men receive what they deserve because “they keep watch over your souls”.
Disclaimer: I know some of my congregation reads this blog. This post did not stem from anything that has ever happened at our church at any time. While the content still applies, I am not asking for anything. It stemmed from some posts I have read and conversations I have had recently concerning this topic, and I really felt that someone needed to deal with a pervasive unbiblical attitude about the compensation of certain individuals. However, if you want to give me a raise, I would not turn it down. 
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36 year old husband, father, pastor, singer, musician, reader, eater, rider, watcher,
This is a timely post. You guys have just made me cry. Stop it.
Seriously, I am bivocational. Soon after the start of the year, I was denied a PROMISED raise by the trustees of our church, a week after finding out (and informing said trustees) that my wife was pregnant for the first time. Not only that, our senior pastor had basically directed them to give me a raise. They knew that we were facing a lot of medical expenses due to pregnancy, plus our student loans were coming due. Our ability to live on my salary alone when the time came would have been stretched into nonexistence without a raise. They knew this.
Yet, they denied the raise. To make matters worse, in telling me they were denying the raise, they quoted a proverb that in effect said “your focus should not be on money, but on serving the Lord.” I don’t know about you, but that seems like a very good way to make a young associate pastor with bills to pay who has just found out his wife is pregnant really, really hate Scripture.
As it is, one month, one miscarriage, and a lot of doctor bills later, we not only have to live paycheck to paycheck until our finances recover from the shock, but we have to live with a little less trust in and respect for those who are supposedly charged with supporting and advising us. Perhaps I should be thankful that I’ve tried to make a habit of trusting the Lord in all things.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to vent. Probably needed to get it out of my system. Nothing to see here. Carry on. Carry on.
Stephen the sad thing is that your story is more of a norm than unique.
My focus should be, and is on “serving the Lord and not on money”. However, the problem I face is, that the people who sell me groceries, utilities, gas, and the doctors who treat me medically seem to be more focused on money. Try as I might, I just can’t get their products and services without cash. I think they are just in it for the money!
Scott,
Can I get you to come serve on my finance comm. this year?
Collin
I don’t see why we have to pay them so much. They only work an hour a week.
Worship leaders, on the other hand. . .
Scott’s post is one of the most important issues most churches should discuss. Why? Because this post is not just about money, but the nature and responsibilities of the office of a pastor. Take this phrase for example: especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. Scott said such a man is worthy of $250,000 salary. But remember such a man is laboring in “preaching and teaching.” Such a pastor would, by necessity, need to be in an eldership model so that he may labor in those two responsibilities. If a pastor could “clock in” forty hours per week in study and prayer, what kind of effect would that have on the health of the church? And what would that be worth?
The world values entertainers and athletes so much that their salaries gain them respect and recognition in other places than just the venues of their profession. People pay their therapist by the minute. Land in California is valued by the square foot. So, how do we value our pastor, and what value do we place on him? And if he is not so valuable, how can we change that? These questions can lead us into many other issues that go to the heart of a sound ecclesiology. Thanks, Scott, for this post.
P.S.- We live in a world that quibbles over the salaries of certain preachers like R.C.; but will pay $2.6 dollars for 30 second ads during the Super Bowl. May God help us.
I cannot put a price on any of my pastors–as one commercial concludes, “priceless!” But that means I would place no top limit on what any were paid. All of my pastors work hard to rightly divide the word of truth and then present it to us, humbly.
Thank you for this…
This is a tough subject. How people view disparity can cause a lot of problems when miss handled. These views can be on either side “paid or payer”. Bottom line, we need to release the problem / or embrace it. And the proper way to do that is to take it to God through Christ Jesus. When I say embrace that is to war in prayer that God correct the problem. Praying in a way that Gods will be done, that the wrong be corrected. If a person is not paid enough that they get paid more (God does provide by other means as well – that should not be an excuse not to pay what one is worth either), if the person praying is wrong to correct there heart attitude, if a person is paid to much that they rededicate there money to Gods use or take a pay freeze. I feel that way to often people pray with there view in mind and not an open minded pray allowing God to do His will. Christ prayed “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Blessings to you all